Georgette Lizette Withers, CBE, AO (12 March 191715 July 2011), known professionally as Googie Withers, was an English entertainer who was a dancer and actress with a lengthy career spanning some nine decades in theatre, film, and television. She was a well-known actress and star of British films during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and postwar years. She often starred in British productions, primarily in films with actor and producer

John McCallum John McCallum (born 9 April 1950) is a Canadian politician, economist, diplomat and former university professor. A former Liberal Member of Parliament ( MP), McCallum was the Canadian Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019. He was asked for h ...

, whom she married, and together they emigrated in the late 1950s to her husband's native Australia, where they became best known in theatre, although she would play prison governor Faye Boswell in the TV series '' Within These Walls'' during the 1970s and continued to feature in films.

Biography

Withers was born in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

(now

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

), to Edgar Withers, a captain in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

, and a mother of Dutch French German descent, Lizette Wilhelmina Katarina.Brian McFarlane, ''Assured lady of the screen took no nonsense'', obituary, The Age, 19 July 2011. She was named after her aunt Georgette Ottolina, but was fondly given the name "Googie" ("chota ghugi'" is Punjabi for "little dove") at a young age by her Punjabi '' ayah'' (nanny), which became Anglicised to "Googie". She became used to this nickname and decided to keep it professionally for her stage name. As a child, she showed interest in learning the

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, England; Googie was sent to a boarding school near

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maids ...

, and a secondary day school in London.

Acting career

She began acting at the age of twelve. A student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, and at the dance school of Buddy Bradley, where she learnt ballet and tap, she was a dancer in a West End production when she was offered work initially as a film extra in Michael Powell's ''

The Girl in the Crowd ''The Girl in the Crowd'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Michael Powell starring Barry Clifton, Patricia Hilliard, and Googie Withers. The film has been declared "Missing, Believed Lost" by the British Film Institute. Plot The wife ...

'' (1935). She arrived on the set to find one of the major players in the production had been dismissed, and she was immediately asked to step into the leading role in her place, beginning a seven year contract with

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, after which she worked for studios Fox British,

Eling Studio Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever s ...

s and The Rank Organisation. During the 1930s, Withers was constantly in demand in lead roles in minor films and supporting roles in more prestigious productions. She was in '' Windfall'' (1935) and '' The Love Test'' (1935) and she had the lead in '' All at Sea'' (1935). Withers supported in '' Dark World'' (1935), '' King of Hearts'' (1936), and '' Accused'' (1936). ''

Her Last Affaire ''Her Last Affaire'' is a 1935 British drama film directed by Michael Powell and starring Hugh Williams, Viola Keats, Cecil Parker and Googie Withers. The wife of a politician is found dead at a country inn. It was based on the play ''S.O.S.'' b ...

'' (1935) was her third film with Powell. Withers followed it with '' She Knew What She Wanted'' (1936), ''

Crown v. Stevens ''Crown v. Stevens'' is a 1936 British crime thriller film directed by Michael Powell. It was made as a quota quickie. Plot Ex-dancer Doris Stevens kills a moneylender who is pressing her for settlement of her debt and threatening to tell her r ...

'' (1936) (directed by Powell), ''

Crime Over London ''Crime Over London'' is a 1936 British crime film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Margot Grahame, Paul Cavanagh and David Burns. It was made at Isleworth Studios,Wood p.89 based on the novel ''House of a Thousand Windows'' by Ludwig ...

'' (1936), ''

Pearls Bring Tears ''Pearls Bring Tears'' is a 1937 British comedy drama film directed by Manning Haynes and starring John Stuart, Dorothy Boyd and Googie Withers. Plot Madge Hart (Dorothy Boyd) borrows a pearl necklace to wear to a dance, but then accidentall ...

'' (1937), '' Action for Slander'' (1937), and '' Paradise for Two'' (1937). She had the lead in ''

You're the Doctor ''You're the Doctor'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Roy Lockwood and starring Barry K. Barnes, Googie Withers and Norma Varden. The screenplay concerns a young woman who pretends to be ill to avoid going on a cruise with her parent ...

'' (1938) and was back to support for '' Kate Plus Ten'' (1938). Her best known work of the period was as one of

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...

's friends in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

's '' The Lady Vanishes'' (1938). Withers kept in support roles in ''

Paid in Error ''Paid in Error'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Maclean Rogers and featuring George Carney, Lillian Christine and Tom Helmore. The screenplay concerns a man who is mistakenly given a large sum of money at the bank. Cast * George Ca ...

'' (1938) and '' Strange Boarders'' (1938). She was in a

Will Hay William Thomson Hay (6 December 1888 – 18 April 1949) was an English comedian who wrote and acted in a schoolmaster sketch that later transferred to the screen, where he also played other authority figures with comic failings. His film '' O ...

film '' Convict 99'' (1938) and supported Jack Buchanan in '' The Gang's All Here'' (1939). Then she appeared in crime films '' Murder in Soho'' (1939) and '' Dead Men are Dangerous'' (1939). She supported George Formby in '' Trouble Brewing'' (1939) and

Tommy Trinder Thomas Edward Trinder CBE (24 March 1909 – 10 July 1989) was an English stage, screen and radio comedian whose catchphrase was "You lucky people!". Described by cultural historian Matthew Sweet as "a cocky, front-of-cloth variety turn", he ...

in '' She Couldn't Say No'' (1939). She was in a Robert Montgomery film ''

Busman's Honeymoon ''Busman's Honeymoon'' is a 1937 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her eleventh and last featuring Lord Peter Wimsey, and her fourth and last to feature Harriet Vane. Plot introduction Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane marry and go to spend th ...

'' (1939) and was reunited with Buchanan in '' Bulldog Sees It Through'' (1940). She was still supporting comics in ''

Back-Room Boy ''Back-Room Boy'' is a 1942 British comedy film directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Edward Black for Gainsborough Pictures and distributed by General Film Distributors. The cast includes Arthur Askey, Googie Withers, Graham Moffatt and Moo ...

'' (1942) with Arthur Askey.

Rising fame

Among her successes of the 1940s, and a departure from her previous roles, was the

Powell and Pressburger The British film-making partnership of Michael Powell (1905–1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902–1988)—together often known as The Archers, the name of their production company—made a series of influential films in the 1940s and 1950s. T ...

film '' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942), a topical World War II drama in which she played a Dutch resistance fighter who helps British airmen return to safety from behind enemy lines. Powell and Pressburger then used her in a film they produced but did not direct, '' The Silver Fleet'' (1943). She played Helen, a significant second lead in the Clive Book directed 1944 comedy '' On Approval''. Withers was in '' They Came to a City'' (1945) directed by

Basil Dearden Basil Dearden (born Basil Clive Dear; 1 January 1911 – 23 March 1971) was an English film director. Early life and career Dearden was born at 5, Woodfield Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex to Charles James Dear, a steel manufacturer, and his wife, Fl ...

and was one of several stars in '' Dead of Night'' (1945). Withers was given a star part in ''

Pink String and Sealing Wax ''Pink String and Sealing Wax'' is a 1945 British drama film directed by Robert Hamer and starring Mervyn Johns. It is based on a play with the same name by Roland Pertwee. It was the first feature film Robert Hamer directed on his own. The ti ...

'' (1945). It was well received and Withers was given the title role in '' The Loves of Joanna Godden'' (1947), which was a hit. In the cast was actor John McCallum whom Withers later married. They remained married until McCallum died in 2010. Withers then starred in '' It Always Rains on Sunday'' (1948) which was one of the biggest hits of the year. In 1948 British exhibitors voted her the 8th most popular British star in the country. Three comedies followed: the hugely popular '' Miranda'' (1948) with McCallum, and '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) and '' Traveller's Joy'' (1949), both directed by Ralph Thomas. Next she was third billed after Hollywood stars Gene Tierney and Richard Widmark in the tense thriller '' Night and the City'' (1950). Withers took 13 months off for the birth of her first child, then returned to star as a doctor in '' White Corridors'' (1951), one of the most popular films of the year in Britain. She was one of many cameos in ''

The Magic Box ''The Magic Box'' is a 1951 British Technicolor biographical drama film directed by John Boulting. The film stars Robert Donat as William Friese-Greene, with numerous cameo appearances by performers such as Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivier. ...

'' (1951) and was in a play ''Winter Journey''. Withers made three films with her husband, '' Derby Day'' (1952), ''

Devil on Horseback ''Devil on Horseback'' is a 1954 British sports drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Jeremy Spenser. Its plot involves a boy who pursues his ambition to be a jockey. The screenplay was by Scotti ...

'' (1954), and '' Port of Escape'' (1956). In 1954 she starred with McCallum in the West End play ''

Waiting for Gillian ''Waiting for Gillian'' is a 1954 play by the British writer Ronald Millar. It is based on the 1951 novel '' A Way Through the Wood'' by Nigel Balchin. It was first staged at the Manchester Opera House before transferring to St James's Theatre i ...

'' by

Ronald Millar Sir Ronald Graeme Millar (12 November 1919 – 16 April 1998) was an English actor, scriptwriter, and dramatist. Life and career After attending Charterhouse School, Millar studied at King's College, Cambridge for a year before joining the ...

Australia

Withers first toured Australia in the stage play ''Simon and Laura''. When McCallum was offered the position running J.C. Williamson theatres, they moved to Australia in 1959. Withers starred in a number of stage plays, including Rattigan's '' The Deep Blue Sea'', ''Desire of the Moth'', ''The First 400 Years'' (with Keith Michell), ''The Circle'',

A. R. Gurney Albert Ramsdell Gurney Jr. (November 1, 1930 – June 13, 2017) (sometimes credited as Pete Gurney) was an American playwright, novelist and academic. He is known for works including '' The Dining Room'' (1982), '' Sweet Sue'' (1986/7), and '' T ...

's ''

The Cocktail Hour ''The Cocktail Hour'' is a comedy of manners by A. R. Gurney. It premiered in June 1988 in San Diego, California at the Old Globe Theatre and, on October 20, 1988, in New York City at the Off Broadway Promenade Theatre. Like many of Gurney’s ...

'', '' Time and the Conways'', ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'', ''Beekman Place'' (for which she also designed the set) (1965), ''The Kingfisher'', ''Stardust'', Chekhov's ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'' and Wilde's ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' for the Melbourne Theatre Company; both productions toured Australia. They appeared together in the UK in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

'' at the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End and on the subsequent British Council tour of Europe in 1983–84 and in

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

's ''The Circle'' at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Withers starred on Broadway with Michael Redgrave in ''

The Complaisant Lover ''The Complaisant Lover'' is a 1959 comedy play by Graham Greene. Consisting of two acts, each of two scenes, the play revolves around an affair between Mary Rhodes and Clive Root, the book seller friend of her husband, Victor. The play takes pla ...

'' and in London with

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

in ''

Exit the King ''Exit the King'' (french: Le Roi se meurt) is an absurdist drama by Eugène Ionesco that premiered in 1962. It is the third in Ionesco's "Berenger Cycle", preceded by '' The Killer'' (1958) and ''Rhinocéros'' (1959), and followed by ''A Stro ...

''.

Later career

Withers returned to films with the lead in ''

Nickel Queen ''Nickel Queen'' is a 1971 Australian comedy film starring Googie Withers and directed by her husband John McCallum. The story was loosely based on the Poseidon bubble, a nickel boom in Western Australia in the late 1960s, and tells of an outba ...

'' (1971), directed by McCallum. She was in ''

'' (1974) on Australian TV. In 1974, she appeared as Faye Boswell, the original governor of a women's prison, in the television series '' Within These Walls''. Because ''Within These Walls'' had been a moderate success in Australia, she was approached by producers to play the role of the Governor in the Australian version titled '' Prisoner'', although she declined, and the role was given to Patsy King. Withers starred in the BBC adaptation of '' Hotel du Lac'' (1986), which was followed a year later by another BBC production of '' Northanger Abbey''. In 1989, she appeared at Brighton in England in ''The Cocktail Hour'' alongside her husband John and her daughter, Joanna - the play a success from New York starring Nancy Marchand, the previous year. In 1990, she appeared in ITV's adaptation of ''Ending Up''. Her last screen performance was as the Australian novelist Katharine Susannah Prichard in the film '' Shine'' (1996), for which she and the other cast members were nominated for a

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to me ...

award for "Outstanding performance by a cast". In 2002, aged 85, Withers appeared with

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, tw ...

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's '' Lady Windermere's Fan'' in London's West End. In October 2007, aged 90 and 89 respectively, Withers and McCallum appeared in an extended interview with Peter Thompson on ABC TV's ''

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

'' programme.

Death

Withers died on 15 July 2011 at her Sydney home, aged 94. Her husband, actor, television producer and studio executive John McCallum predeceased her on 3 February 2010.

Honours

Withers was appointed an Honorary Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

(AO) for services to drama, in the 1980 Australia Day Honours List. In the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List (UK), she was named a Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(CBE). Withers was a JC Williamson Award recipient for lifetime achievement in 1999. In 1992 Googie Withers and John McCallum were founding patrons and active supporters of the

Tait Memorial Trust The Tait Memorial Trust MTis a charitable foundation, first established in the United Kingdom, with the chief purpose of providing financial support to outstanding young performing artists from Australia and New Zealand who wish to pursue post-gr ...

in London. A Charity established by Isla Baring OAM, the daughter of Sir Frank Tait of J. C. Williamson's to support young Australian performing artists in the UK. She was the subject of ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'' in 1971 when she was surprised by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

, whilst thinking she was going to be interviewed by her close friend Godfrey Winn. Although she knew Andrews, when he appeared as she entered the set, she asked him why he was no longer working as a presenter and was instead working as a floor manager.Archived a
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Wayback Machine

Selected filmography

*''

'' (1935) – Sally *'' The Love Test'' (1935) – Minnie *'' Windfall'' (1935) – Dodie *''

'' (1935) – Effie *'' Dark World'' (1935) – Annie *'' All at Sea'' (1935) – Daphne Tomkins *'' She Knew What She Wanted'' (1936) – Dora *''

'' (1936) – Ella Levine *''

'' (1936) – Miss Dupres *'' Accused'' (1936) – Ninette Duval *'' King of Hearts'' (1936) – Elaine *'' Action for Slander'' (1937) – Mary *''

'' (1937) – Doreen *'' Paradise for Two'' (1937) – Miki *'' The Green Cockatoo'' (1937) – (uncredited) *''

'' (1938) – Jean Mason *''If I Were Boss'' (1938) – Pat *'' Strange Boarders'' (1938) – Elsie *'' Convict 99'' (1938) – Lottie *'' Kate Plus Ten'' (1938) – Lady Moya *'' The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) – Blanche *''

'' (1938) – Helen Firmstone *'' Trouble Brewing'' (1939) – Mary Brown *'' Murder in Soho'' (1939) – Lola Matthews *'' The Gang's All Here'' (1939) – Alice Forrest *'' Dead Men are Dangerous'' (1939) *'' She Couldn't Say No'' (1940) – Dora *''

'' (1940) – Polly *'' Bulldog Sees It Through'' (1940) – Toots *'' Jeannie'' (1941) – Laundry Girl *''

'' (1942) – Bobbie *'' One of Our Aircraft Is Missing'' (1942) – Jo de Vries *'' The Silver Fleet'' (1943) – Helène van Leyden *'' On Approval'' (1944) – Helen Hale *'' They Came to a City'' (1945) – Alice *'' Dead of Night'' (1945) – Joan Cortland (segment "Linking Story") / (segment "The Haunted Mirror") *''

'' (1945) – Pearl Bond *'' The Loves of Joanna Godden'' (1947) – Joanna Godden *'' It Always Rains on Sunday'' (1947) – Rose Sandigate *'' Miranda'' (1948) – Clare Martin *'' Once Upon a Dream'' (1949) – Carol Gilbert *'' Night and the City'' (1950) – Helen Nosseross *'' Traveller's Joy'' (1950) – Bumble Pelham *'' White Corridors'' (1951) – Dr. Sophie Dean *''

'' (1951) – Sitter in Bath Studio *'' Lady Godiva Rides Again'' (1951) – Susan Foster (actress in clip, "The Shadow of the Orient") (uncredited) *'' Derby Day'' (1952) – Betty Molloy *''

'' (1954) – Mrs. Cadell *'' Port of Escape'' (1956) – Anne Stirling *'' The First 400 Years'' (1964) *''

'' (1971) – Meg Blake *''

'' (1974, TV Movie) – Ranevskaya *'' Within These Walls'' (1974–1975, TV Series) – Prison Governess – Faye Boswell *''

Screen Two ''Screen Two'' was a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC2 from 1985 to 1998 (not to be confused with a run of films shown on BBC2 under the billing ''Screen 2'' between April 1977 and March 197 ...

'' (1986, TV Series) – Mrs. Allen / Mrs. Pusey / Leda Klein *'' Melba'' (1988, TV Mini-Series) – Lady Armstrong *'' Country Life'' (1994) – Hannah *'' Shine'' (1996) – Katharine Susannah Prichard (final film role)

References

External links

* *
, %20Number%3A355688%20, %20Number%3A360821;querytype=;resCount=10 Googie Withers at the National Film and Sound ArchivePerformances listed in the Theatre Archive University of Bristol
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Withers, Googie 1917 births 2011 deaths Alumni of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts Australian people of Dutch descent Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Helpmann Award winners Honorary Officers of the Order of Australia British emigrants to Australia English film actresses English people of Dutch descent English stage actresses English television actresses British people in colonial India